Forming ice skate assemblies with a provision for the replacement of the ice skate blade is well known in the art.
Commonly, such assemblies comprise a blade holder molded from a thermoplastic material with a longitudinal groove extending therealong and within which the ice skate blade is received.
In accordance with a first prior assembly, the ice skate blade is locked to the blade holder by two or more threaded fastener means (such as a nut and bolt assembly) that pass transversely through the blade and blade holder at intervals which are longitudinally spaced apart. This arrangement permits the rapid replacement of the blade through the use of two simple tools.
In accordance with a second prior assembly, the ice skate blade is locked to the blade holder by two or more threaded fastener means that pass upwardly through the blade holder. This second means of locking the blade to the blade holder permits the blade to be strongly biased in contact with the blade holder. However, a deficiency in this second prior assembly is that the replacement of the blade usually requires demounting the blade holder from the skate boot in order to gain access to the threaded fastening means so that the blade may be released from the blade holder.
Another deficiency in the first and second prior assemblies described above is the need to use two or more fastener means. The use of these fastener means renders the process of changing the ice skate blade both cumbersome and time-consuming for the user.
In accordance with a third prior assembly, the ice skate blade comprises a hooked portion at the front and a projection with a fastener aperture at the rear. The blade holder has a recess for receiving the front hooked portion and a bore hole for receiving a fastener having a threaded portion and a head that registers within the rear fastener aperture. A nut is screwed on the threaded portion of the fastener for retaining the blade in place. However, a known deficiency in the third prior assembly is that the replacement of the blade requires passing a tool through a hole provided in the sole of the skate boot to access the nut screwed on the threaded portion of the fastener in order to disengage the head of the fastener means from the bore hole and thus release the blade from the blade holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,664 shows a skate blade assembly wherein the front end of the ice skate blade is pivotably coupled to the blade holder via a slot and pin arrangement. The rear end of the skate blade is then pivoted into snap-locking engagement with a locking mechanism located at the rear end of the blade holder, which locking mechanism comprises several pieces including springs, slide bar, latching tongue, ejection rod, rod and pin. A known deficiency of this assembly is that it comprises several pieces, thereby increasing the complexity of its construction and operation.
U.S. Publication No. 2010/0109312 shows a replaceable ice skate blade wherein the skate blade is attached to a removable blade assembly. The blade assembly comprises a first hook and pivotable rocker at its front end, as well as a second hook towards its rear end. The blade assembly is designed to be interlocked with an attachment system contained in the front and rear cavities of the holder, where the front cavity comprises a fixed retention hook for engaging the first hook of the blade assembly and the rear cavity comprises an attachment device that includes a pivotable retention hook at one end shaped to receive and engage the rearward hook of the blade assembly, a pawl that is attached to the pivotable retention hook, a releasing means (e.g., a button) and a spring that provides tension to the different components of the device.
To attach the skate blade and blade assembly to the holder, the user first presses the releasing means in order to overcome the force of the spring on the pawl, thus allowing the pivotable retention hook to move into a position that would allow the entry of the rearward second hook of the blade assembly. Next, the user engages the first hook with the fixed retention hook in the front cavity of the attachment system and rotates the blade assembly via the pivotable rocker so as to make the second hook enter the attachment device at the rear of the holder. The second hook makes contacts with and applies pressure to the pivotable retention hook within the attachment device. Once sufficient pressure is applied by the second hook of the blade assembly on the pivotable retention hook, the retention hook (and attached pawl) pivots, which subsequently releases the tension stored the spring and forces the pivotable retention hook into a position where it is physically engaged with the second hook of the blade assembly. However, a known deficiency of this assembly is that it comprises several separate pieces, thereby increasing the complexity of its construction and operation.
Consequently, there is a need in the industry to provide a simple attachment system having a single component that allows the ice skate blade to easily be locked to and removed from the blade holder by the user without the need of tools.